Seeing Samantha, Deanna was a bit surprised, but she understood when she thought of the man lying unconscious in the hospital room.
Gregory was the first to notice Deanna and looked at her with delight. "Mommy, you're awake."
Deanna nodded at him and then greeted Samantha with a nod.
"Mrs. Mercer."
Samantha forced a smile and said, "I've heard from Xavier about what you did. Thank you for saving our Lance."
Deanna felt a bit uncomfortable hearing these distant and polite words.
She pursed her lips slightly and said softly, "I am Mr. Mercer's personal doctor. Saving him is part of my duty."
Unbeknownst to Deanna, Samantha was also feeling conflicted, as if she had been slapped in the face.
Previously, she had been confident that Deanna was a hindrance to her son. But now, her son's life depended on Deanna's medical skills.
It was hard to say whether it was fate playing tricks or if their bond was meant to be.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the living room was strange.
The two little ones sensed it too, looking around curiously.
Fortunately, Hector walked over at this moment, breaking the silence.
"Madam, Dr. Deanna, dinner is ready."
"I understand," Samantha replied with a nod. She then stood up from the sofa and invited, "Dr. Deanna, please join us."
She then looked down at the two little ones beside her and extended her hand kindly. "Gregory, Chloe, Grannie will take you to eat."
The two little ones instinctively looked at Deanna.
Deanna naturally did not object and nodded gently, signaling them to follow Samantha.
The meal was relatively relaxed and warm, possibly because Lance's condition had improved somewhat.
However, compared to the harmony here, Bella's face did not look good.
She had received news that Deanna had been taken abroad to treat Lance.
She heard that Lance had not woken up since the incident and seemed to be seriously injured.
Thinking about this made her feel both jealous and worried.
She was jealous that Deanna could be close to Lance and worried that if that woman cured Lance, their connection would deepen.
It was even possible that the Mercer family would accept Deanna because of this life-saving grace.
No, she couldn't allow such a thing to happen.
What she couldn't have, she would rather destroy than let someone else get it!
Bella thought darkly and then called her assistant, instructing, "Book me the earliest flight to New York."
"Yes," the assistant nodded and hung up to make arrangements.
Soon after, he called back to report, "Miss Cody, I have booked you a flight to New York at 3 PM."
Bella acknowledged briefly before hanging up and starting to pack her luggage.
After all, she wasn't going there for just a day or two; she planned to stay until Lance woke up.
However, just as she was preparing to head to the airport, an unfamiliar number called her phone.
Bella frowned slightly and didn't intend to answer.
But after she hung up, the caller persistently called again.
Bella had no choice but to answer.
"Miss Cody, I didn't expect you to be so cautious. If you hadn't answered, I would have considered blocking you at the airport," came Alonso's cold yet playful voice from the phone.
Bella felt a chill at his voice but didn't want to show weakness. She raised an eyebrow and sneered, "How dare you threaten me?"
"Miss Cody misunderstands. I'm not here to threaten you; I'm here to propose a collaboration," Alonso chuckled lowly before suddenly changing his tone and introducing himself. "I'm Alonso. I believe Miss Cody is not unfamiliar with me."
Bella fell silent.
She was indeed familiar with Alonso. In fact, she knew him quite well.
After all, this person frequently provoked Lance and was the only one in their circle who could be compared to Lance.
And most importantly, she had often opposed Alonso to please Lance in the past.
Now this person was suddenly seeking her out, making it hard not to overthink.
"What do you want from me?" Bella asked with lowered eyes.
Alonso didn't beat around the bush and spoke lightly. "Miss Cody, don't you want revenge for unrequited love?"
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Bella stiffened.
Before she could respond, Alonso's voice sounded again in her ear.
"You should know that Lance is severely injured and unconscious in the hospital. But I know more than you do. Lance is not only severely injured but also poisoned. Without Deanna in the way, Lance would be dead."
Alonso's words were filled with resentment by the end.
He had calculated everything but hadn't accounted for such an unexpected variable.
Bella narrowed her eyes, which gleamed with sharp light. She asked calmly, "You want me to deal with Deanna? Do you think that's possible?"
Not to mention that Lance was currently unconscious and heavily guarded; even Deanna wasn't someone she could easily touch.
Deanna was Lance's treating doctor. The Mercer family wouldn't allow anything to happen to her!